Get the latest health and behavior news andadvice from the veterinarians at Tufts University.

Ask the Doctor July 2016 Issue

Story Tools

Dear Doctor - Health concerns for a briefly lost pet

Health precautions for lost cat

Q Our cat, Dusty, recently escaped from our house, which is in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Dusty was missing for about ten hours before a neighbor spotted her in her backyard.

Obviously, we were very relieved to have our cat back home, but our question is this: Could she be in any medical danger from her brief jaunt outside our home? She is an indoor-only cat, and the only pet we live with currently. There is a feral colony about a block away, but we really have no idea if she interacted with those cats or not. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Linda Belham

A Dear Linda: The chance of your cat having picked up an illness is very small and she’s probably just fine. What are her greatest risks after an excursion outdoors? Remaining lost or getting hit by a car. Next most serious would be a fight with a cat, dog or wild animal. Last on the list would be catching a cold, fleas, ticks or internal parasites. All in the last category are easily treatable.

Dreamstime.com

If your indoor-only cat accidentally escapes and spends a day outside, you can take her (and a stool sample) to your veterinarian to alleviate any concerns.

Since your cat didn’t suffer one of the major problems, give her plenty of love and attention and celebrate her return! If you’re unsure about the status of her health, take her (along with a stool sample) to your veterinarian for a thorough exam. However, the likelihood that she picked up an infection is very slim and I wouldn’t recommend you allocate a lot of time and resources on infectious disease testing. You should consider placement of a microchip identification implant if it seems possible that your cat will escape again.Michael Stone, DVM Clinical Assistant Professor Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University